


Forever is Too Long

by NothingButPBandJ



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Dark, Escape Attempt, Kidnapping, M/M, Obsession, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Rick is really evil here, Running Away, Shipping Implied, Yandere Rick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28395513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NothingButPBandJ/pseuds/NothingButPBandJ
Summary: When Morty finds out that Rick is planning on leaving the family, he confronts himWhen he finds out that Rick is planning on taking Morty with him, Morty tries reasoning with himWhen he finds out that Rick will not give him a choice, Morty runs. He runs and prays Rick doesn't catch him
Relationships: Rick Sanchez & Morty Smith
Comments: 22
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter 1

When Morty entered the garage, his eyes immediately landed on Rick. Rick had his back to him, sitting down on his work desk while his hand screwed a bolt inside a small looking gun. Rick had a visor strapped over his head, with a microscope protruding out of his left eye, giving him a better look at his task.

He was acting so….normal. Morty couldn’t understand how Rick wasn’t fazed by the recent events. The Intergalactic watcha-ma-call it attacked them only a few days ago. It wouldn’t be long before they tried again. When Morty had demanded Rick for protection, Rick had simply waved off his concerns. He promised Morty that he had a way to keep the family from danger. But he hadn’t told Morty exactly what he was planning.

So Morty had to put two and two together. Going on so many adventures with Rick – being with him for so long – he had gained a second sense into the old man’s thought process. That, coupled with the fact that Rick had been steadily collecting all his things over these past few days, gave Morty enough clues to figure it out.

Rick was planning on leaving. And Morty hated him for it.

“Rick, we need to talk,” he announced.

“Morty, pass me the monkey-wrench, will ya?”

“No,” Morty said sternly, causing Rick to spin around to face him. Morty glared at his grandfather, “I _need_ to talk to you.”

Rick frowned at him, unimpressed with his sudden power move, but still listening. That was enough motivation for Morty to continue.

“I know I can’t stop you. I don’t care if you leave or not. But Mom….Mom already lost you once. She’ll….she’ll **die** if you do it again. I’m serious. It will kill her.”

“Are you always this dramatic in the morning?”

“Rick! You can’t just come in and out of her life whenever you feel like. If she….if something happens to her because of what you did, I’ll never forgive you.”

He half expected Rick to mock him for this threat. After all, he was just a Morty. Why would Rick care how he felt about him – or whether or not he forgave him? It was a dumb threat, but it was the only one Morty had.

To his shock and relief, Rick seemed to be taking his words to consideration. Rick said very seriously, “If I stay, they’ll come after the family again. And you really won’t ever forgive me then.”

Morty closed his mouth shut, knowing that Rick had a point.

“Then….come back. When they stop looking, come back.”

“You know that’s not an option, Morty. If I leave, I leave for good.”

Morty didn’t know what to feel about this. He knew he should be sad that Rick was leaving, and not just for his mother’s sake. After all their adventures together, surely there was a bond between them by now. At least, as much of a bond as Rick was physically capable of. Although Rick himself claimed to have ‘irrational attachments,’ Morty never truly believed it. A man who could leave his only daughter on a whim was someone who didn’t value any relationship.

Somewhere deep down, Morty knew he should feel a little somber about this. But he felt nothing. Maybe some of Rick’s psychopathy was rubbing off on him, but Morty didn’t care if Rick left. If Rick left, Morty could go back to his normal life. It would be boring, but it would also be…..

Morty didn’t hate his grandfather. But he didn’t like him either. And if Rick left with all his inventions, alternate realities and penchant for trouble….Morty would finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

But Mom….

“If you’re really going to do it, then can you at least do one thing? Can’t you erase our memories of you ever coming back? I think that’s the only way Mom will be okay. So she doesn’t….doesn’t know that you left her twice.”

Rick raised his brow, looking amused and Morty hated him for it. For treating this whole situation like a joke, “That’s a lot to erase, buddy. I’d have to fabricate years’ worth of false memories to keep everyone from being suspicious. Sounds like a ton of work for me.”

“Rick, you have to—”

“—No, I really don’t.”

“Please,” Morty hated himself for begging. He wanted to be strong enough to hold Rick down and demand him to do as he said. Instead, he continued to plead, “It will kill her. It really will. And I know underneath all your….your bullshit, you care about her, right? You HAVE to. She’s your daughter….”

“Morty,” Rick began sternly, glancing down at him like he was a parent trying to soothe their overreacting toddler. He removed his visor to give Morty a better look at the concern in his eyes, “If it means that much to you, then I’ll do it.”

Morty couldn’t help but notice how Rick said he would do it for him. He would take the extra step to erase their memories for Morty’s sake, not Beth’s. He didn’t know what to make of this revelation, but he tried not to think too deeply into it. At least Rick was willing to do the bare minimum.

Rick’s lips curled into a tight smile, “Now be a good boy and hand me the wrench I asked for.”

It was surreal how Rick was acting like nothing changed. It was like it didn’t register in his mind that he was going to leave them all forever. That, or the more likely option – he just didn’t care. Morty would never understand how Rick could abandoned them without a second thought. There was a time when Morty would’ve considered Rick his best friend, maybe even his only friend. But now Morty had wised up. His grandfather didn’t care about anyone but himself.

Morty grabbed the wrench from the shelf across the room. As he walked back to Rick, he held it out for him to take. Rick was still using his screwdriver, so Morty waited patiently for him to accept the offered tool.

“Thanks, Rick,” Morty suddenly had the urge to be nice. Despite everything Rick put him through, he didn’t want their goodbye to end on a sour note, “And just so you know, even when I forget you, I still think a part of me….will miss you. If that makes sense?”

The screwdriver in Rick’s hand stopped spinning. Rick’s sudden pause sent a chill down Morty’s spine, and the silence that followed only made him more nervous. Rick turned back to him, staring hard into Morty’s wide doe eyes.

“What are you talking about? I’m not erasing _your_ memories.”

“Wha…..but….you said…”

“I’ll erase the family’s memories. But it wouldn’t make any sense to erase yours.”

What was Rick talking about? Of course, it made sense. What purpose would it serve to leave Morty’s memories alone, while everyone else got to live in blissful ignorance?

“You’re just….going to make me remember? You’re going to leave and make me the only one who remembers you? Why?”

“Don’t you get it, Morty? You’re coming with me,” with that Rick went to grab the wrench from Morty’s hand.

But as he tried to tug it out of Morty’s grip, Morty only held onto it tighter. He met Rick’s confused gaze, horrified at what he heard.

“I can’t come with you! My family is here. My life is here, Rick. I can’t just leave it forever.”

“You can and you will,” Rick said with finality, “I-if you’re s-scared about getting into danger, don’t worry. I won’t let…let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you.”

Once again, he tried to take the wrench. Once again, Morty kept his hold on it.

“I…..I can’t do it, Rick,” he repeated.

Rick gave a frustrated sigh, “It will be fine, Morty. You m-may not like the idea now, but one day…one day you’ll thank me. We’ll go on so many adventures. We can set up houses on all sorts of planets and j-just chill for a while….We can go on vacations to places you can’t even imagine, Morty. We’ll have….so much fun. No one will stop us. It will just be me and you, Morty. Together until the end of time.”

As he spouted his insane monologue, his eyes gleamed with excitement. He was grinning from ear to ear. He looked at Morty like he was a prize, eager to grab him and stuff him in a display case where no one else could touch him. A trophy for Rick’s eyes only.

Morty shuddered. He realized that Rick wasn’t planning on taking his feelings into consideration. He was going to drag Morty along whether he wanted to or not. He was going to take Morty away against his will.

Steadying his nerves, Morty glared at the old man, doing his best to sound assertive.

“I’m not going with you.”

“That’s cute, Morty,” Rick yanked at the wrench, but Morty only tugged back. The tug-o-war between them had officially started, “Why d-don’t you growl a little too? I bet you’ll be really scary then. I bet I’ll….I’ll piss myself.”

Morty ignored his taunting, “You can’t make me, Rick! That’s kidnapping!”

“What are you going to do about it? Cry to Mom? Beat me up? Guess what? I can do literally anything I want. No one has the power to stop me. Especially not you. If I want something, I take it away,” Rick suddenly pried the wrench from Morty’s hands, so forcefully that Morty’s skin burned, “I’ve wanted you for a long time, Morty. Like hell am I going to leave you behind.”

The dread in Morty’s stomach turned to ice cold fear. Rick was serious. Seeing that being aggressive wasn’t going to work, Morty tried a new tactic. God help him, he was going to try to reason with his grandfather.

“If it’s because of my..my brainwaves….then just get another Morty. I saw….I saw the coupon, alright? I know you can get another anytime you want.”

Rick’s angry look vanished in a flash. He sighed sadly, “Morty—”

“I mean it! Get a Morty that actually wants to go with you. It will make everyone happy.”

“But I won’t be happy,” Rick’s voice was soft and rueful, “I can never replace you, Morty. Not in a million years. You’re my original.”

“B-but….the coupon…”

“So, I like to tease you a little. I like to keep it on the desk for you to see and get all jealous,” Rick chuckled to himself at his ridiculously cruel words. How could he say something so mean, while at the same time making his voice sound so sincerely benevolent? “It’s just—it’s just a joke, dawg. I like to see you all riled up and possessive over me. But I don’t really ever mean it.”

“Possessive?”

“Don’t act all coy on me, Morty. You….you hate the thought of me replacing you. It really makes you angry, doesn’t it?”

It used to. God help his past self, because there had been a time when Morty had actually felt insecure about the coupon. But now….now he saw the coupon as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Something that could save Morty from being abducted by his all powerful grandfather.

Morty made a face, but Rick didn’t seem to notice. He continued on, a smirk on his face as he swirled his wrench around a loose bolt, “God, Morty. You’re just….just so much fun to tease. You know it? But. Don’t. You. Worry. It will be me and you…a h-hundred years, Morty. Maybe even longer. No one else can ever replace you.”

The way he spoke the words….it was like he was trying to reassure Morty…as if he thought Morty was feeling insecure about his place in his life.

As if Morty wanted to go with him to hell knows where, and leave his family forever.

Morty didn’t know whether Rick was crazy and actually believed what he was saying, or if he was just speaking in circles to shut Morty up. Morty’s chest tightened in fear, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest, his brain pouring with thoughts of the future.

What could he do? How could he escape this? If Rick was really determined to take him away, then there wouldn’t be a damn thing Morty could do about it.

Morty felt close to hyperventilating. He couldn’t leave. Quickly losing hope, Morty tried begging once more.

“Please, Rick. Let me stay with Mom and Dad and Summer. They’re my family.”

“They’re not even your real family,” Rick reminded him. And that hurt.

“I don’t…I don’t care. I love them, Rick. I can’t just leave. And if you actually cared about me….you’ll respect my wishes.”

With one final twist, Rick finished his invention. Then he stood up, whirled around to face his grandson, and placed a hand on Morty’s shoulder. He shot Morty a stern look.

“You think you can guilt trip me, baby? Tough shit. That bullshit doesn't work on me, Morty. I know I’m a selfish son of a bitch, and I’ve accepted it a long time ago.”

That was it then. Morty suddenly realized there was no escaping his fate. He was doomed. Tears suddenly fell down his cheeks, barely needing time to form in the ducts of his eyes. Rick wiped a few with his thumb, and shushed him tenderly.

“Look. I figure we have about 24 hours before they start really getting on our ass. So I’ll make you a deal. Spend that time doing whatever the fuck you want. Be with your mom. Chat with Summer. Hell, even hang out with _Jerry,”_ he spoke the name with disdain, “Give yourself some closure, bruh. I’ll let you do that, and in return…I want you to come with me willingly. Don’t struggle. Don’t fight. Just be a…a good kid and get in the ship when I tell you to.” He frowned when he noticed Morty glaring at him, and his voice turned cold, “Or….I can just take you away now.”

Morty wiped away his ugly look, his eyes pleading with Rick for mercy. He did his best to sound as small as possible.

“I’ll be good, Rick.”

“Thatta boy,” Rick purred.


	2. Chapter 2

An hour later, Morty had no motivation to go anywhere, or talk to anybody. He knew he was running out of time – that this was his only chance to spend time with his family ever again – but he couldn’t face them. Despair made him want to do nothing else except curl up into a ball and sit in his room in silence.

Rick hadn’t bothered him since their discussion earlier that morning. When Mom asked Morty where he went off to, Morty figured that he must’ve left the house altogether. Perhaps it was Rick’s way of giving Morty space until he was ready to take him away?

Morty tried to choke out a sob, but it ended up coming out as a groan of frustration. What was he doing? This was exactly what Rick wanted. He wanted Morty to stay in one place. Then Rick would grab Morty and take him to an unknown world as if Morty’s name was Persephone. Morty was making this easy on Rick….

….But what else could he do? He couldn’t fight Rick. Mom wouldn’t be able to do anything either, Rick would just erase her memories and drag Morty out of there. Morty couldn’t ask anyone else for help, for who would be strong enough to stop Rick? And he couldn’t run away, because where would he even go? And besides, Morty wanted to stay with his family. Running away would defeat the purpose.

But he had to do _something!_

He spent the next few minutes agonizing over what Rick had told him. Rick said he would never replace Morty in a million years….but surely that was a lie? He wouldn’t keep the coupon just to try and make Morty jealous. The man wasn’t THAT petty…

…Right?

There must be a way to convince him to get a new Morty. It would be the only way that Morty could escape his fate. He hugged his knees together, resting his head between them in deep thought. After a few more minutes of silence, the beginnings of a plan began slowly taking shape.

Those people are still after Rick. And despite being as powerful as he was, Rick had to run from _them._ Which meant that some part of Rick was scared of them. So….that meant that no matter what, Rick would have to leave the planet within 24 hours.

What if Rick couldn’t find Morty during that time?

Morty lifted up his head, his eyes sparkling with hope, and an excited smile crossing his face, highlighting his dimples. He might not be able to run from Rick forever….but to make himself more trouble than he was worth….to force Rick to leave him out of inconvenience. He could pull that off.

The teen hopped out of the bed with a new burst of hope swelling in his chest. Heading to his drawer, he grabbed a pen and some scrap paper, then proceeded to write. After he finished writing his fake run-away letter, he went downstairs with it stuffed safely in his pocket. Now he would need some money.

He found his mom in the kitchen, humming to herself seemingly half drunk. Whenever she was like this, she liked to cook a big meal and make herself a lot of coffee. It always seemed to help with her hangover. From behind her, her purse rested on the table, not even zipped up.

Morty frowned at it. Even though it was out of necessity – even though this was the only way he could stay with Mom – it felt wrong to rob her. Morty had grown accustomed to performing immoral actions for the greater good, but this was a step beyond. Stealing from his mother was a whole level of personal.

He took in a deep breath to steady his nerves. Maybe if he was quick and quiet, he wouldn’t have time to feel the wrongness of this situation. But just as he crept closer to the table, his mom chose that time to turn around. The way she smiled told Morty that she was sobering up from being drunk last night, however, she still wasn’t completely alert to her surroundings.

“Hey, Morty. Have you seen your grandpa?”

Morty was quick to smile as though nothing was wrong, “I…I think he went on an adventure, Mom.”

“Without you? That’s unusual.”

“He…” Morty fished out a lie, “He asked me to come with him….But I told him I wasn’t feeling too well. So, he went ahead without me.”

Yeah right. As if Rick cared whether or not Morty felt ‘well enough for adventure.’ If Rick ever wanted to take Morty on an adventure, Morty never had the option to say no. Just like Morty didn’t have the option to stay home. Rick saw Morty as nothing more than a possession, meant to bend to his will at the drop of a hat.

But Mom’s unconditional love for Rick prevented her from seeing the truth. She bought the lie easily.

“I’m sorry you’re not feeling well, sweetie. I’ll let this water boil and make some soup for you,” with that, his mom left the kitchen to go lay down on the couch. Morty kept a close eye on her, making sure she wasn’t going to turn around and glance in his direction. Then he took the wallet from her bag.

The wallet felt like fire in his hands. He wanted nothing more than to drop it back to its original spot. But he kept a firm hold, took out the note and put in on the table for people to see. When the family saw it, they’d wonder what led him to run away. When Rick saw it, he’d believe Morty ran to escape him. Hopefully, he’d think that Morty had no intention of coming back. Then Rick would have a choice to make. Either chase after Morty, spending precious time trying to get him back, or cut his losses and just replace Morty altogether.

Knowing how impatient Rick was, he would no doubt go with the second option.

Morty snuck around Mom and left the house. He walked a few blocks down the street until he reached the bus stop. He pulled out his phone to check the time. Rick gave him unlimited batterie for his phone for his birthday, and Morty found himself grateful for this small act of kindness. He was going to waste the whole day hiding, so it would be good to have the phone to pass the time….

…And keep his mind from being riddled with worry about Rick being out there…..wondering where Morty was…or **knowing** where Morty was….going to pop up from a portal and grab him out of nowhere at any second….

No. No, Morty refused to work himself up over nothing. This plan was going to work, he told himself over and over. It was going to work. It was going to work!

When the bus pulled up and the door opened, a small illogical part of Morty’s brain imagined Rick at the driver seat. But of course, it was just some random woman Morty had never met before. She stared at Morty for so long that Morty realized he had just been frozen like a stature. Bashful, Morty pulled out some change and fed the dispenser, then quickly went to a vacant seat.

He was the only kid on the bus. But since this was a normal weekend morning, no one seemed suspicious of him being here. For all they knew, he was just on his way to the local comic bookstore. Morty took in a few deep breaths, plugging in some headphones and listening to some music on his phone.

With no particular destination in mind, Morty kept his gaze out the window. If he didn’t find some place to get out, the driver would just loop around.

But then he saw the train station and he decided that buying a ticket would help further the illusion of him running away. He pulled for the bus to stop, then got off. The nasty irrational part of his brain made him watch out for any signs of Rick.

Nothing. Not even the tiniest sight of blueish-white hair, nor the reek of alcohol combined with oil. Relaxing, he went to the ticket stand where a bored looking man sat behind a glass screen.

“One ticket to Miami Beach, please,” Morty scooped out the debit card.

“That’s a long ways away. Do your parents know you’re heading over there?”

“My parents,” Morty began, keeping a steady tone, just like Rick taught him when he wanted to sound convincing, “Are in Miami right now. I have to meet them there.”

“Do your parents always leave you behind on a vacation and make you catch up?”

“Do you always poke your nose into people’s business?” Morty frowned in just the way Rick taught him. Showing the man that he was annoyed and trying to make the man feel stupid for asking these questions in the first place.

The man shrugged his shoulders, “Just a little curious, kid. Don’t need to bite my head off,” with that, he handed Morty the ticket.

“Thank you,” Morty said politely. He already felt guilty for snapping, so he wanted to make nice. He had a thought, “My grandpa might come by later. So just remind him that I bought a ticket to Miami Beach. He already knows but….you know. He’s old and forgetful.”

“Alright.”

Morty turned around and smiled to himself. Now that he bought the ticket, Rick would check for any purchase history on the card and then assume he took the train. Then he would chase after the train going to Miami. It was the perfect way to get Rick completely off his trail.

Now all Morty had to do was hide somewhere until his remaining hours were up. Then Rick would leave without him and Morty would be free to safely go back home.

It was the perfect plan. Now where to go? Morty walked along for the next half hour until he spotted a 24-hour Starbucks. It would be perfect. As long as he made himself unnoticeable, he can spend as much time there as he wanted.

He went inside and bought himself a caramel frappe before sitting down in the seat furthest away from the crowd. Once comfy, he clicked into the Wi-Fi and began his long hours watching YouTube.

Hours passed on. The day sank into night, and to Morty’s luck, he was only confronted two times by the employees. Both of whom had already ended their shift and left, believing the made-up story Morty told them about him waiting for his mom. The overnight shift was already here, not sparing him a passing glance, too wrapped up in their own thoughts to even notice him.

Morty checked the time – 9:17. His family was probably out searching for him. Morty debated whether to leave the store in case word got out, or stay here where so far, no one noticed him.

If he left, he would have nowhere to go. It was too dangerous to wander out at night, he decided. The employees here don’t even notice him. If he was careful enough, he could dodge their sight until morning.

But then one of them, a young tired looking woman, approached them.

“Are you Morty?” she asked.

Morty tensed up, “Where did you hear that name?”

She paused for a moment, as if debating on how to answer. Then she pulled out her phone and showed Morty the screen. On Facebook was a picture of him with the caption of ‘My Grandson Ran Away and Everyone is Worried.’ Rick’s profile (he had a Facebook profile? Morty never took him for the type) had his smiling face as the picture. To an outsider, he looked like a harmless, happy old man.

Morty’s heart dropped when he saw the numbers. 350k likes……and Rick had posted this just an hour ago.

The woman was now eyeing him with a frown. There was nothing Morty could say to convince her he wasn’t the same boy as on the virtual missing poster.

Before she could say anything, Morty shoved passed her, running as fast as he could and sprinted out the door. He didn’t stop until he was sure no one was following him.


	3. Chapter 3

The cold night was torture on his lungs. As he panted for breath from running a mile, they burned with fire with every gulp of air he took. He was at least thankful that the adventures Rick had forced him on had given him enough stamina to run as long as he had. He managed to find a place with no one else around. Which meant no one could hurt him – or worse, turn him in to Rick.

He used the flashlight on his phone to inspect his surroundings. It looked like he managed to find himself in a junk yard of some sort. Or maybe it was a construction site? Whatever it was, it had a mountain of old tires, as well as giant cemented cylinders stacked on top of each other. There were machines too, which meant there had to be workers who would probably show up in the morning.

It was now almost 10 o’clock. Morty realized he had never felt more exhausted in his life. But he needed to find a reasonably safe place to rest, if not because of weirdo creeps, but there might also be wildlife out here that would attack on sight.

Morty was scared. It suddenly hit him that he was all alone in the middle of the night miles away from home. At least during his adventures, he could always count on Rick being somewhere in the vicinity. Even when Morty thought he was all alone with some strange alien monster, Rick would always show up at the last minute to save him, as if he had been watching the whole time. Rick seemed to like messing with Morty like that. Pretending like he didn’t know where Morty was, only to reveal that he’s been watching the whole time.

…What if Rick was doing the same thing now?

No. Morty held the sides of his head and practically squeezed, as if trying to get rid of the thoughts like an ugly pimple. He refused to even entertain the idea. He was safe. He had to be! Rick thought he was in Miami, just like Morty had planned.

He took in a few more deep breathes, shivering from the cold. His hands were drying up fast and he felt his skin beginning to crack. He made a promise to himself then that he will treat himself to the most expensive lotion in the store, when all this was finally over.

Phone trembling in his hand, Morty flashed his light at the nearest truck. There was the possibility that one of them was unlocked, but he would have to climb up the giant wheel to get to the door. It would take effort, but if he got to go inside, then he would have a nice (and relatively warm) place to sleep.

Morty stuffed the phone in his pocket, then grabbed one of the crooked edges of the wheel and began to climb. He’s reminded of the time he had to scale that slimy mountain by himself, while Rick smugly watched from his hovering chair, eating and refusing to help. And only when Morty slipped and fell did Rick immediately save him. He could’ve done that at any time, but had a snarky excuse as to why he didn’t. Morty knew the real reason though. Rick found it funny to watch him struggle.

He made it all the way up top. His fingers latched onto the door. To his delight, it swung right open for him. At least something was going right for him today. He pushed himself inside, then fell onto the leather seat, shutting the door and catching his breath. It wasn’t any warmer inside, but at least he was safe. If anything dangerous showed up, he could duck under the window to avoid sight.

Plus, this was about the only reasonable spot to sleep with one eye open. At least this way, Morty wouldn’t have to curl up on the dirt.

He spent the next half hour trying to get comfortable, but paranoia kept making him look out the window in case Rick was around. It never did any good, as he couldn’t see out there and he didn’t risk using the flashlight. Instead, Morty pulled up some calming music on his phone and did his best to fall asleep.

_He was two again. Morty giggled to himself, while hiding behind the couch. It was the perfect spot. He was sure that his mother had no idea where he was._

_He tensed up when he saw her enter the room. Her hand on her hips and a smile on her face, she said in a sing-songy voice, “Now where could he be?”_

_Morty grinned as excitement build in his tiny chest. Mom walked around the room, looking all over the place. She was nowhere near the couch. Morty kept his hands over his mouth to stop the onslaught of giggles. While he had his eyes closed, he was suddenly pulled up into Mom’s arms._

_“Gotcha!”_

_Morty squirmed. He gave his mother a hurt look, because now he knew….He knew that she was aware exactly where he was the whole time. And she was just….toying with him. She was just making him think he outsmarted her._

_All of the sudden, the game didn’t feel like it had ever been fun in the first place._

_“Oh, don’t gimme that look, honey,” Mom smiled warmly at him, “I know you don’t like baths, but you need one, young man. Come on. I got some toys in the tub for you.”_

A sound jolted him awake. Morty’s eyes scattered all over the vehicle, looking for the offender. His brain was slower than his eyes, and it took a second for him to remember where he was. And why he was there. It seemed to be morning, as the sunlight shone down on him, giving him a clear view of his surroundings.

Once he collected himself, Morty realized that the sound was his phone. It signaled to him that he got a text. His heart sank when he saw all the missed texts from his family. Mom had the most, with over 50+. Dad had sent him 27 unseen texts. And Summer had 38.

The most recent one was from Rick (Morty’s heart nearly stopped). It was a single text. Morty couldn’t hold in his suspense any longer. He had to see that text, even though he really didn’t want to.

**Coming to get you now.** Was all the text said. Morty stared at it in disbelief. Even now, after Morty tried running away to escape his fate, Rick was still acting like this was all no big deal. As if he was just offering a field trip to Walmart. And not planning on abducting Morty and keeping him from his family forever.

If he was texting that, did that mean he knew where he was, after all? Morty lowered the phone, bit the bullet, and took a peek out through the window.

Rick was right outside, munching on some fast-food breakfast sandwich and looking bored. He wasn’t looking this way. And that was the only ounce of hope Morty had left.

Morty wanted to run and scream and beg and cry and fight. He wanted to dig underneath the ground like a mole. He wanted to throw up in front of Rick to show Rick how serious he was about not going. He wanted to die…..

_Settle down_ , he scolded himself. Morty glanced at the phone. He had 15 minutes until the 24 hours were up. Then….then did that mean that Rick would leave no matter what? If Morty could hide away for just 15 more minutes, would he finally be safe from him?

No. Think Morty. He knew Rick was acting just like Morty’s mother did all those years ago. Rick knew damn well he was in the vehicle. He was just toying with him.

But how did he….

It suddenly clicked. Morty’s phone! How could he be so fucking stupid? Of course, Rick must have a tracker on it. Everywhere Morty had been, Rick knew where he was.

He would kick himself later, he decided. Now he needed to get out of here. Without his phone. It was a risk, especially since his phone was his GPS to finding home. But he _needed_ to do this. If he left without it, Rick would think he was still in the car. It was the only way he could escape.

Keeping an eye on Rick, while keeping as head as low as he can, Morty reached over to open the other side door. He would sneak out the back without Rick noticing. As he stepped out the car, he steadily climbed down the tire.

Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he fell hard on his ass. Morty didn’t even wait long enough for his brain to register the pain. He knew ( _He knew!)_ that Rick had heard his fall. Morty began to run, not daring to look back. He ran into a thicket of trees, darting out into the wilderness, nearly stumbling over a rock. But he kept his momentum going, ignoring the way his bones shivered from the cold. Ignoring the way his lungs burned as he ran and his breath showed in frosty whisps. Ignoring the fact that at this point, escape was just a fantasy.

He didn’t know how long he ran until he was out of energy. Morty was hungry, thirsty, tired and so very cold. He stopped in front of the tree and leaned his back against the bark. Tears fell from his eyes. The worst part….he wasn’t at all surprised to see Rick coming through a portal just in front of him. The sandwich he had was gone, although he still looked as bored as ever.

“That’s enough, Morty,” he said softly. He didn’t even sound annoyed, much less angry.

Morty’s brain screamed at him to keep running. But Morty couldn’t find the energy until Rick began to approach him. Morty tried to circle around and start sprinting again. But before Morty could pick up speed, Rick grabbed him, locking his arm around Morty’s torso and keeping him in place. A sharp pain entered Morty’s shoulder and Morty turned to see that Rick had stuck him with a syringe.

Morty’s muscles went slack. Now he couldn’t move an inch, although his brain was still functioning. Rick grabbed him and threw Morty over his shoulder, and no part of Morty could struggle. Morty even tried to speak, but his jaw was just as useless as everything else.

Rick whistled a tune as he opened up another portal. It took them to the garage where the ship was waiting.

“Four minutes until those assholes show up. Sorry, Morty. We don’t have time to stop for breakfast. But that’s just what you get for trying to run.”

Rick clicked something with his free hand, and the doors of the ship opened. He propped Morty up onto his seat, before walking around to get behind the wheel. Still whistling, Rick started up the engine.

“Say goodbye to this place, Morty.”

As if Morty could.

In just a few seconds, they were all the way in space, the earth falling behind them. There was nothing Morty could do but sit and cry. He still felt cold from spending the night in that construction vehicle, but in a way, the feeling comforted him. It reminded him of the outside elements of the Earth’s atmosphere. That cold air was home. Earth was home.

And now it was all gone. The chill would leave too, and there would be truly nothing left of Morty’s time on his earth. Where his family was.

“It’s going to be rough these first couple of days,” Rick stated, “We can’t afford to stick around and smell the roseblurgs. They’re going to be right behind us for a little while,” he offered Morty a smile, “But once we lose them, I’ll treat you to the best dinner of your life. Just a few days, Morty. The human body can go without that much food for a few days.”

He wasn’t going to feed him. And Morty was already so hungry from not eating that much yesterday. Morty refused to look into Rick’s direction, because Rick _had a sandwich_. He could’ve very easily bought Morty something too, since he **knew** this was going to be the outcome anyway.

But of course, Rick didn’t. Maybe because he wanted to punish Morty. Maybe it was just because he was an asshole. Both theories sounded plausible to be honest.

Rick pushed a button and a weird mechanical hand hovered from above them. It held out a blanket that it draped over Morty’s shivering body, before withdrawing back to where it came from. Rick used his free hand to help secure the blanket better. The blanket was warm and soft – the most comfortable blanket that Morty had ever felt.

“There…I can’t help you with food. But at least I can warm you up. I seriously doubt it was fun spending the night in that car. At least this vehicle will be a little more comfy….I think….”

After an awkward pause, Rick continued, his eyes lighting up with determination.

“It will all be better soon. You’ll love it. I promise. And once they’re off our ass, we’ll….we’ll go to the best hotel in the galaxy. I’ve been saving up my flurbos for a long time. We’re set for life, Morty. There’s literally nothing you have to worry about. We’ll….we’ll play in the arcade…..have good food…ride the rollercoaster….sleep in warm beds with an amazing view. I bet you haven’t seen a night quite like one on Gu’dragal. Shooting stars every single fucking night, bruh. You’ll feel like you’re in a fairy tale.”

Morty wanted to go home. He tried to get his lips to cooperate, but they refused to budge. Whatever drug Rick gave him certainly had its hold on him.

Rick suddenly chuckled, “You almost had me going there a while, Morty. When the tracker showed you going into that train station, and then I noticed you buying that ticket to Miami Beach….I thought for sure you were going to hop on that train next. I was really caught off guard when you left the station all together. Thought to myself ‘what the hell is this kid doing?’ And then it hit me, Morty,” he laughed, his eyes filled with pride as he looked at him, “You were trying to pull a fast one on me. Tell me, were you patting yourself on the back at how clever you were? Trying to outsmart me….that’s fucking adorable, kiddo.”

A few more loose tears spilled, this time angry ones. Morty stubbornly closed his eyes, trying to block out the reality of the situation, if only for a moment. He heard Rick chug at his flask.

“I can keep you hydrated. Let me know when you’re thirsty. Got enough water to last us a while. Also, got some intergalactic tv goggles for you to pass the time.”

“I….” Morty’s lips were slowly starting to work again, “I…..hate….you…”

Rick patted Morty’s knee and responded smugly, “I know, Morty. But that doesn’t really matter now….does it? You’re going….to be needing me from now on. I’m the only one who will keep you safe,” He sounded so happy when he said it. It made Morty sick.

“Where’s….my….phone?” demanded Morty. He wanted to see those texts that his family sent him.

“I’m guessing it’s wherever the fuck you left it.”

Morty’s eyes opened in shock, “What….?”

“Well…. _you_ left it. It’s not my problem.”

Rick didn’t grab the phone? All of those texts from his worried family…..they were gone, just like that? Morty didn’t have a chance to even ever see what they had said?

“But….the tracker…”

“Morty…..little buddy…” Rick’s voice was full of comfort. Like he was sad to tell him the truth about Santa not being real, “The tracker is on _you._ I didn’t need to put it on your phone.”

It was the final nail in the coffin to seal away Morty’s hopes forever. This was it. He had lost and Rick had won.

Just like always.

“I….I wanna go to sleep…” Morty couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to lose consciousness. Now!

“You want me to knock you out with gas or something?”

“Yes, please!” Because if Rick was willing to perform any kindness at all for him, then at this point, Morty would take it. Even if it wasn’t the type of kindness he wanted.

“Sure, pal. Goodnight.”

With that, a burst of gas sprayed on Morty’s face and he fell into a comfortable darkness. He decided to deal with the terrible reality when he woke up.

* * *

FIN


End file.
